Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) has launched an investigation into an incident last week in which the newly purchased Cayman Airways Express Saab 340 aircraft was damaged by a private jet at the airport on Grand Cayman. A release Wednesday morning by the airline said that on the night of Thursday, 24 March, the jet blast of a private aircraft that was maneuvering on the ramp at the Owen Roberts International Airport damaged the Saab, which was parked and secured for the night.While Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) described the damage as minor, a release from the airline said the 34-seater Saab, which is used exclusively for the Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman route, had been removed from its upcoming scheduled operations in order to conduct the necessary repairs and is expected to resume service later this week. “During this period, Cayman Airways has made alternate scheduling and aircraft arrangements to ensure that all passengers are able to be accommodated with minimal inconvenience until the Saab is back in service,” the airline stated.A spokesperson for the Airports Authority said, “The CIAA investigation into this incident is ongoing and once completed will be reviewed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands. It would be improper to comment at this early point in the investigation.”CAACI Director General Richard Smith confirmed to CNS that a release on the matter will be issued once the investigation is complete. However, he said that at this point in time he could not answer questions on “any legal infraction by the pilot or owner(s) of the private aircraft concerned or possible consequences. It would also be inappropriate to comment further until the investigation has been completed,” he added.Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms said that the Saab had been operating very reliably since its full launch into service, replacing the previously leased Embraer 120 in January.“So to have this unanticipated removal from service over the Easter weekend was very disappointing,” he added. “Cayman Airways apologises for any inconvenience caused during this period and we thank our loyal customers for their continued support.”Original article can be found here: https://caymannewsservice.com